Authors: Young HE, Henson NL, Black GF, Hawkins KC, Coleman JA and Black AC Jr
Pluripotent stem cells and totipotent stem cells have been discovered within the skeletal muscle of adult mammals, including humans. The proposed hypothesis is that these stem cells are located ubiquitously throughout the body. Thus, pluripotent stem cells and totipotent stem cells should be located within bone marrow of the adult rat. Adult rats were euthanized following the guidelines of Mercer University’s IACUC. Bone marrow was harvested and processed via cytospinning prior to staining with antibodies diagnostic for endogenous adult-derived stem cells. Two antibodies were utilized: stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA-4) and carcinoembryonic antigen-cell adhesion molecule-1 (CEA-CAM-1). Both SSEA-4-positive cells and CEA-CAM-1-positive cells were present as mixed populations of cells within the bone marrow. Future studies will address their functional significance during tissue maintenance and healing.
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